The £35m transfer decision Aston Villa simply cannot afford to make amid bombshell January update
A high-profile Aston Villa star has been linked with a shocking move away from Villa Park
Aston Villa could consider selling one of their prized assets in the January transfer window if they receive an offer in the region of £35m.
That’s according to a report from Football Insider reporter Wayne Veysey, who has sensationally claimed that Aston Villa will cash in on Ollie Watkins after five and half incredible years at the football club if they receive an adequate offer.
Watkins joined Villa from Brentford for a then club-record figure of £28m rising to £33m based on performance related criteria. The forward has since gone on to exceed all expectations, helping the club to European qualification on three separate occasions while also spearheading last season’s progression to the FA Cup semi-final and Champions League quarter-final.
Ollie Watkins tipped to leave Aston Villa in January - report
Football Insider reports that Aston Villa will sell Watkins if they receive an offer of £35m or more in the upcoming January window.
In January 2025, Watkins was the subject of late transfer interest from title hopefuls Arsenal, but Villa resisted offers for the England international that were thought to be in the region of £50m. Arsenal’s interest came at a time when Jhon Duran was already close to an exit - and Emery was desperate not to lose both of his star strikers.
Jamie Carragher told The Overlap that the West Midlands club were more open to offers for Watkins than how it was made out. “When we talk about Arsenal going for Ollie Watkins, someone told me that Aston Villa offered him to Arsenal,” Carragher said.
“I know that. I don’t think it was Arsenal phoning Villa saying they want to sign him.
“Arsenal didn’t sign him because they didn’t offer a lot of money. They offered around £50 million. However, this is the information I had. If I know that then I’m sure his agent knows that.
“Villa have spent a lot of money, and they need to get something back. In an ideal world, you probably would sell Ollie Watkins and keep Jhon Duran because he is the younger player – he is only 21.”
Eventually, Aston Villa cashed in on Duran as the Colombian completed his switch to Saudi Arabia, while Watkins competed with Marcus Rashford for a starting spot.
Aston Villa cannot afford to sell Ollie Watkins - opinion
If there is any substance to speculation linking Watkins with a move away from Aston Villa mid-season then it would represent a huge mistake for the Lions.
Watkins is by no means enjoying a vintage season at present. He’s scored just three times in 20 appearances across all competitions, but has recently proven that when he’s in full flow, he’s still a handful for defenders after recently scoring a brace against Brighton.
Ultimately, Watkins is Aston Villa’s highest goalscorer of the Premier League era and one of the most consistent strikers to have worn the iconic claret and blue kit over the last 20 years. He’s worth far more than the £35m figure being floated around despite being 29-years-of-age. Yoane Wissa for example, at the same age in the final year of his contract, went to Newcastle United for £55m, despite having much less Premier League experience.
Watkins still has two and half years remaining on his deal which runs until 2028. For the foreseeable he should remain Villa’s top striker and should not be a player that they consider cashing in on.
He had 24 goal contributions (16 goals and eight assists) in 38 appearances last term and is still more than capable of getting back to similar numbers before the end of the campaign with a World Cup on the horizon.